Inside the palace.
Upon arriving in the Grand Duke’s private chamber, Caelis felt unexpectedly at a loss.
He wanted to grow closer to his son, yet he had no idea where to begin.
After all, this was his first time being alone with a child.
“Little one, aren’t you sleepy?”
Claude shook his head enthusiastically, his eyes shining as he looked at his father.
“Papa, why don’t you ever call me by my name?”
It was because the name sounded too similar to his brother’s, and calling it stirred something deep within him.
“Who says I never do?” Caelis replied calmly.
“I say your name every time I talk to your mother about you.”
Caelis sat down on the long sofa and gently pulled his son into his arms.
“Usually, what do you do before going to bed?”
“Mama reads me a storybook and then sings me a lullaby.
I usually fall asleep on my own.”
“I see…” Caelis murmured softly.
“What a pity.
I can’t sing.”
“It’s okay,” Claude said with a bright, reassuring smile.
“I want to talk to you.
Do you mind, Papa?”
“What a thoughtful child.” Caelis gently patted the boy’s back.
“You don’t need to worry about my feelings, son.
I’m your father.
Whatever you want to say, just say it.
I will always listen.”
Claude smiled cheerfully, his innocence as pure as that of a little angel.
“Papa, you once said you liked Mama.
But… what made you like her?”
Caelis remembered being asked a similar question when Lina had first agreed to their marriage.
At that time, what he felt was merely familial affection.
But now…
That feeling had changed into something deeper.
Even he did not know when that change had happened.
Back then, she barely caught his attention.
Lina was not the most striking woman, yet she was far from plain.
And now… for reasons he could not explain, she had become the most beautiful woman in his eyes.
Since when had his interest begun?
And what was it that drew him so strongly toward her?
“Papa?”
“Hm…” Caelis smiled faintly.
“Honestly, I don’t know.
I liked her without even realizing it.”
“Do you love her?”
Caelis chuckled softly.
“Why do I feel like you’re interrogating me?
Do you regret me marrying your mother?”
Claude immediately waved his hands in a panic.
“No, no!
I don’t regret it.
I just want Mama to be happy.”
Like mother, like son.
The child cared more about his mother’s happiness than his own.
“Little one,” Caelis said gently, “you don’t need to worry.
I will protect your mother and love her.
I am her husband.”
“Promise?” Claude raised his pinky finger.
Without hesitation, Caelis hooked his pinky with his son’s small finger.
“Papa,” Claude whispered softly, “I actually want you to be happy too.
You and Mama are the two most precious people in my life.”
Caelis’s gaze softened.
“I will be happy too… as long as neither of you leaves me.”
Claude nodded in satisfaction.
“Little one,” Caelis continued gently, “can you tell me what your life was like before you came here?”
Though the night had grown late, Claude showed no sign of sleepiness.
In fact, he seemed even more eager after hearing his father’s request.
Through his stories, Caelis learned how Lina had often been insulted and mistreated, yet she never retaliated.
She endured everything quietly, treating even those who wronged her with kindness and remaining as friendly as always.
More than anything, Lina was always willing to help those in need—even if they had hurt her before.
Despite being a single mother raising a child without a husband, the entire town gradually softened and came to accept her with her warmth and patience.
But that gentle nature would vanish the moment Claude’s safety was threatened.
The boy vividly recounted his last conflict with a classmate.
“I’ve never heard Mama’s voice sound so scary,” Claude murmured, letting out a small yawn.
“I didn’t even dare look at her.
I just hid.” His voice grew softer as sleep began to take hold.
“But I know… Mama will always be on my side.
She will protect me… even if the opponent is stronger than her.”
His eyelids slowly drooped, but he continued speaking.
“I also know I’m still weak… and can’t protect Mama yet.
So I decided to endure everything… so I won’t cause her trouble.”
Caelis gently patted his back, noticing the boy’s breathing gradually slow.
“Papa…” Claude whispered faintly, on the verge of sleep, “Please protect Mama.
I’ll do anything you ask… as long as she can keep smiling…”
Soon, his breathing became steady.
The child had fallen asleep.
Caelis carefully lifted the small body and laid him gently on the bed.
He exhaled slowly, realizing something he had overlooked.
Lina had never smiled at him the way she smiled at her son.
But there was still time.
He would patiently knock on the door of her heart until she opened it.
Caelis gazed at the sleeping child, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against his forehead.
“Sweet dreams, my son.”
At that moment, a powerful surge of beast aura suddenly enveloped Claude’s small body, causing Caelis to freeze in place.
The next instant, an illusory figure materialized in the air.
“Klaude!?”
It was his older brother, Klaude.
His expression was calm, yet overwhelmingly oppressive.
“Brother… is it really you?” Caelis whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
“Who could have harmed you?”
Klaude’s gaze hardened, as if warning him not to pursue the truth behind his death.
The figure began to flicker, its form gradually fading.
It seemed the illusory frame only had a short time.
“Don’t worry, brother,” Caelis said firmly.
“I will protect him and love him as my own child.”
The tension in Klaude’s expression softened.
His gaze turned gentle as they were filled with quiet gratitude.
“Brother… I’m sorry,” Caelis continued, clenching his fists.
“I think I’ve found my soulmate.
I know it’s wrong… I know it’s impossible for us to share the same fated mate… but I can’t suppress these feelings anymore.” He took a steady breath.
“Can I pursue her?”
Klaude blinked once, then smiled faintly and nodded.
[Never let go of her hand… if you choose to win her heart.]
Caelis gasped.
The voice echoed clearly within his mind—far more vivid than a lingering fragment of consciousness should be.
It seemed that Klaude cared deeply for Lina that he entrusted her future to him.
“Don’t worry,” Caelis whispered.
“I will never let her go.”
The illusory figure faded completely and vanished.
Caelis closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his gaze turned sharp as it shifted toward the balcony.
He stepped forward.
“I know you’re there.
Come out.”
A young man with snow-white hair emerged silently from the shadows.
“It seems she still doesn’t fully trust me,” Caelis said with a quiet sigh.
“Don’t misunderstand,” the young man replied calmly.
“My mistress simply wants to ensure her son’s safety… in case you fail to protect him.”
Elric studied Caelis carefully.
Only then did he notice the unmistakable resemblance—the same presence as the man who had once saved him.
“Your Grace,” Elric said slowly, “is Claude truly your brother’s offspring?”